Having already signed Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic, McClaren has now added a third new signing ahead of the Premier League season in Mbemba.

The 20-year-old centre back follows former team-mate Mitrovic from Anderlecht to Tyneside, penning a five-year contract with the Magpies on Thursday evening.

A DR Congo international, Mbemba arrives having starred in Belgium, and manager McClaren has discussed just how delighted he is with the defender's arrival - explaining to the club's official website just why he signed the player by describing his best qualities.

"We are delighted that Chancel is now a Newcastle United player after it took a little longer than we had hoped," said McClaren. "He is a proven performer at the highest level, he's powerful, combative and will add quality to our defence. He also has an eye for goal which is an extra asset for us."

"We will get him integrated into the squad quickly once he is with us. Unfortunately, due to the time it takes to process the visa application that won't be in time for our final friendly on Saturday, but our focus will be to make sure he will be ready and available as soon as possible. I'm sure our supporters will take to him very quickly. He's the sort of player fans will enjoy watching," he added.

Newcastle fans suffered last season with experienced duo Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson both struggling throughout the campaign, displaying a lack of pace which crippled the Magpies on a regular basis.

Now though, Mbemba arrives with pace and strength, and whilst he isn't the tallest defender at just over 5ft 11in, he possesses athleticism that Newcastle have lacked in recent years.

Wijnaldum and Mitrovic are huge signings in the final third, but Mbemba could end up being Newcastle's biggest capture if he can help solve the Magpies' leaky defence.

Olly Dawes

Olly is a Sports Management graduate and aspiring journalist, with most of his work surrounding football or NFL. He has formed two of his own sites, as well as contributing to a number of others before starting with Here Is The City.